It’s Fajardo

San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo raises his fourth Most Valuable Player award. PBA Images

Game tomorrow

(Philippine Arena)

6:30 p.m. -- Ginebra vs. Meralco (Game 5)

SAN Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo did it again.

The young Beermen center, as expected, ran away with his fourth consecutive Most Valuable Player title in the annual Leo Awards at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

His fourth MVP award serves as a testimony of how he has dominated Asia’s first-ever play for play league since being made the No. 1 pick overall in the 2012 rookie draft.

The 27-year- old Cebuano, who led the San Miguel Beer to victories in the last two conferences (Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup), joined the company of retired cagers Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio who were both four-time winners of the highest individual honor.

Danny Ildefonso (2000 and 2001), Alvin Patrimonio (1993 and 94), and William ‘Bogs’ Adornado (1975 and 76) are the only players to win the PBA’s highest individual award in successive years.

The gentle SMB giant has now added the award to his swelling list of achievements in his five-year cage career that started in 2012 when he was selected number one by SMB in the Draft.

Prior to winning the quadruple feat, Fajardo was also one-time finals MVP (2015 Govs’ Cup), and 5-time best player of conference awardee (2013 Philippine Cup, 2014 Phil. Cup, 2015 Govs’ Cup, 2016 Phil Cup and 2017 Philippine Cup). All these he collected in the course of leading San Miguel to five championships.

Of course, Fajardo got the highest praises from the management of San Miguel.

Also hogging the limelight during the annual awards for individual honors were Talk ‘N Text’s Roger Pogoy who was adjudged Rookie of the Year, Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood who was bestowed with 2017 Sportsmanship award, and Ross who came away with the Most Improved Player award.

Fajardo also made it to the 2017 All-Defensive Team that also includes Norwood, Aguilar, Jio Jalalon and Ross.

Meanwhile, Meralco’s Ranidel De Ocampo chances of playing in the finals became dim as an MRI conducted on the veteran Meralco forward on Wednesday night showed a significant tear on his left calf muscle that should keep him out for the duration of the best-of-seven title series.